Advocacy

CSPF is dedicated to advocating for legislation and policy changes to advance our mission of protecting and enhancing the California state parks system. To advance our policy goals, CSPF works with policymakers at the state, federal and local levels. We also encourage our park partners, members and park supporters throughout California to become engaged in our grassroots advocacy efforts.

Citizen Action

CSPF encourages our park partners, members and park supporters throughout California to become engaged in our grassroots advocacy efforts to advance our mission of protecting and enhancing the California state parks system.

Each year park advocates from throughout California use their voice and participate in Park Advocacy Day. Advocates meet with elected officials and policymakers in Sacramento to support California’s 280 state parks.

This year Park Advocacy Day will be held on May 8, 2018. We invite you to use your voice and join us for a full day of activities that will include legislative speakers, advocacy trainings, meetings with legislators and more. By participating in Park Advocacy Day, you’ll use your voice to send a powerful message to policymakers that California’s state parks are important places that need to be protected, and that all Californians should have the opportunity to learn, visit and explore state parks. Your knowledge and first-hand experience will make this the most successful Park Advocacy Day yet!

Legislative Agenda

As part of our role in advancing state parks issues for the last decade, CSPF has provided leadership in lobbying the California legislature on relevant bills and budget actions as well as proactively sponsoring legislation. CSPF has sponsored legislation to achieve park protection as well as facilitate fiscal sustainability for the state park system.

In addition to sponsoring legislation, CSPF also maintains regular communication with key policy committee members and provides testimony to legislative hearings and coordinates with other like-minded organizations on policy priorities.

Current Legislative Bills

Senate Bill 5 (de León) gives California voters the opportunity in June 2018 to voice their support for local, regional and state parks and drought, water, parks, climate, coastal protection, and outdoor access for all programs. SB 5 includes $205 million for the state park system and is a much-needed investment. The funds will make important improvements for the visitor’s experience, address deferred maintenance, and provide necessary funding for natural resources protection and restoration. Some specific funding categories include:

$5 million for parks operated by nonprofits

$5 million for parks operated by local agencies

$10 million for the State Park and Recreation Enterprise Fund

$30 million for low cost coastal accommodations

Now is the time to reinvest in California’s natural and historic infrastructure – including significant investments into California’s state park system. Unfortunately, with an aging state park infrastructure, our parks continue to need critical repairs that will keep them available and well maintained. It has been 15 years since California voters approved the last legislatively crafted park bond Proposition 40.

Assembly Bill 250 (Gonzalez-Fletcher) requires the Coastal Conservancy establish a program to expand the availability of low coast overnight accommodations on the coast. A recent joint study by UCLA and San Francisco State University found that 75 percent of Californians view the high cost of overnight coastal accommodations as a barrier to coastal access. In the last three decades, nearly 25,000 economy hotel/motel rooms have been eliminated, and today fewer than 5 percent of coastal accommodations can be considered economy. Fees for a developed campsite at a state park on the coast currently range from $40 to $65 per night and the demand for these campsites is so high that they often sell out 6 months in advance. This combination has created a situation where far too many Californians are unable to visit the coast and receive the health, wellness and recreational benefits that come with those experiences.

We strongly support Assembly Bill 250 (Gonzalez-Fletcher) for its efforts to break down the economic barriers that are preventing equitable access to California’s coast.

Solano County is currently the only Bay Area County without a Regional Parks and Open Space District. Senate Bill 365 (Dodd) is needed to allow the County to move forward with the process to create a dependent Regional Parks and Open-Space District. CSPF is supportive of this effort, Senate Bill 365 (Dodd) will increase access to public lands, and create new opportunities for the Solano County to enhance existing parks and open spaces.

Assembly Bill 1358 requires the Department of Parks and Recreation to make day-use admission to state parks half-price on California’s Admission Day (September 9). Decreasing financial barriers to state park use increases all Californians’ access to parks.

Current Status:
Did not pass out of the Legislature
CSPF's Position: SupportView Full Text

Senate Bill 705 was unsuccessful passing out its house origin by the June 2 deadline and can be considered next in January 2018.

CSPF was proud to support Proposition 67, which passed in 2016 and prohibits the use of single-use plastic bags at grocery stores. Expanded polystyrene takeout food packaging is a statewide problem that is toxic to humans, pollutes coastal and inland waterways, litters our streets at great cost to ratepayers, kills wildlife, and impairs the ability of communities to comply with storm water regulations. Up to 80% of ocean pollution is litter from urban runoff, and non-recyclable single-use food packaging is a primary component of urban litter that residents pay to remove. Single-use food packaging litter is consistently in the top ten items found at beach and river cleanups.

Senate Bill 705 (Allen) would add to these efforts, and phase out takeout expanded polystyrene and non-recyclable plastic food packaging and creates a unified statewide policy that will protect consumers, reduce unrecyclable or compostable waste, and safeguard our parks, open space, coasts and inland waterways.

As a result of an April Executive Order by the Trump Administration, six of California’s national monuments are under review and possibly under threat by the US Department of Interior. Our parks and monuments are for all Americans, preserving America’s heritage and history, as well as safeguarding irreplaceable wildlife, habitat and natural resources. Removing national monument status from these six important California places and/or opening them up for inappropriate commercialization sets a bad and dangerous precedent that will harm California.

Current Status:
Enrolled and presented to the Governor
CSPF's Position: WatchingView Full Text

The state of California has set an ambitious goal of 1.5 million Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) on our roads by the year 2025. ZEVs use low carbon fuels are a vital component of the state’s effort to reach its Green House Gas emission reduction goals. In order to achieve this goal, California estimates that by mid-century, 87% of cars on the road will need to be full ZEVs. There are still barriers to consumers for the adoption of ZEVs including cost, financing, and range anxiety as a result of a lack of an adequate charging network.

The bill would require each electrical corporation to develop a plan to create a robust charging network at all state parks and beaches within its service territory, by July 31, 2018. The development of more ZEV charging stations in long-dwell locations, such as state parks and beaches, may provide an additional incentive for drivers to adopt ZEVs.

Current Status:
Did not pass out of the Legislature
CSPF's Position: WatchingView Full Text

Assembly Bill 1281 was unsuccessful passing out its house origin by the June 2 deadline and can be considered next in January 2018.

California’s state park system encompasses over 1.5 million acres, including 1,100 miles of coastline. This bill would require the Department of Parks and Recreation to complete a study that includes recommendations for further action that may be necessary to address the impacts of climate change on the state parks system. The findings of this study may help shape policies to protect our parks, and may also support a better understanding on the many ways in which the preservation and protection of state parks are helping climate-threatened species to survive, and can help offset Green House Gasses.

Please update your browser.

Our website does not support your browser because it is out of date.
Please update to a newer version of Internet Explorer (IE 8 or higher) here.
Check your version here.
If you have a Internet Explorer 9 or newer and you are still receiving this message.
You may be have COMPATIBILITY VIEW enabled, read about that here to fix.Or, for the best web experience, we recommend using Chrome, Firefox or Safari.